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Scripture Reading
Exodus 4:1-8 NIV [1] Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” [2] Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. [3] The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. [4] Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. [5] “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.” [6] Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow. [7] “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. [8] Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second.
Introduction
Text:
Exodus 4:2 NIV [2] Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
We all know the story of Moses how he was put in a basket on the Nile river in Egypt and was found by Pharaoh's daughter, nursed by his own mother, and raised in the palace of Pharaoh as a prince. But he suffered a big come down. At one time, he enjoyed the trappings of royalty, but at the time of our Scripture reading, he was looking after sheep in the desert.
So what happened?
He had tried to run ahead of God. Can you imagine Moses' mother during his formative years, telling him that he should remember he was a Hebrew and that someday God would raise up someone to deliver the Hebrews from bondage?
As the years passed, Moses may have felt that he was the one God had chosen to do the job. The mistake he made was that one day when he saw an Egyptian oppressing a Hebrew, he killed him and buried his body in the sand. Later, fearing discovery, he ran and fled the land of Egypt, in other words, he split.
Exodus 2:11-15 NIV [11] One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. [12] Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. [13] The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” [14] The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” [15] When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.
What a terrible price Moses paid and we often pay for our impatience and hotheadedness!
However, God had not forgotten Moses and He won't forget us.
Exodus 3:1-6 NIV [1] Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. [2] There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. [3] So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” [4] When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” [5] “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” [6] Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Here before the burning bush God was ready at last to send Moses into the service he had planned for him. Like that scripture we like to quote
Romans 8:28 NIV [28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
For Moses the forty years’ in the desert, as a fugitive and exile, served as a great learning experience for the man who would later lead his fellow Hebrews throughout this very same desert.
I. The life of Moses shows us that God uses people to partner with Him.
God could have reached down with his strong hand and rescued his chosen people, the Israelites, any way he wanted to. There is no limit to what God can do!
God could send angels to announce his message of salvation through the sky if he wanted to. But he doesn’t want to do it that way! God partners with people to do his work.
Let me give you an analogy. An analogy is a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification. Sort of like the parables that Jesus used as he taught. A parable is a short narrative illustrating a lesson by comparison or analogy.” So here’s my analogy for how God wants the message of salvation announced throughout the world.
When Jesus returned to heaven, all of the angels turned out to greet him. He explained to them the plan of salvation, how he had died and had risen from the grave, and that now salvation was possible for all the world. They were all rejoicing until one angel said, “But, Jesus, how will the world know what you’ve done?” He replied, “I told my friends to tell others and those others will tell still others, and the message will be told around the world.” The angel asked, “But suppose they don’t do it? Suppose they are too busy or too careless—what then? How will the world know about you?” Jesus paused for a moment, looked down, then raised his eyes and said, “They’re my friends. They won’t disappoint me. I have no other plan!”
Matthew 28:16 NIV [16] Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. [18] Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
So many of us have excuses like Moses had at first but
II. God supplies answers for our excuses.
Notice Moses’ excuses and how God responded to them.
When God’s call first came, Moses seems to have had an identity crisis.
Exodus 3:10-11 NIV [10] So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” [11] But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
God did not respond to that question by telling Moses who he, Moses was, He responded by telling him that He, God Almighty, would be with him.
Exodus 3:12 NIV [12] And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
We will never discover the full truth about ourselves until we commit the abilities and talents God has already given us.
Next Moses wanted to make sure that he had the authority to go to accomplish the task.
Exodus 3:13 NIV [13] Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
Here’s God’s response to that excuse.
Exodus 3:14 NIV [14] God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
In other words you have all the authority that you need Moses.
To further emphasize the point God worked two miracles.
We read about them in our scripture this morning. He turned Moses rod into a snake and back into a rod, He made Moses hand leperous when he put it inside his cloak and then cured him when he put his hand inside his cloak again.
Yes, God will provide a miracle if we need it, but he will only do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Moses then said he wasn’t eloquent and again God promised to be with him.
Exodus 4:10-12 NIV [10] Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” [11] The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? [12] Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Moses finally said Lord send somebody else. God took care of that excuse too.
Exodus 4:13-16 NIV 13] But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” [14] Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. [15] You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. [16] He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.
Finally, Moses gives up.
Exodus 4:18-20 NIV [18] Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.” Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.” [19] Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.” [20] So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.
Excuses are seldom, if ever, the real reasons why we hold back and refuse to accept God’s will for our lives. The main problem is that to accept God’s will in our lives we must accept responsibility, and few people are eager to do that but remember we are only responsible for what we have in terms of gifts, talent or resources. We are not responsible for what we don't have.
Go back to the text;
Exodus 4:2 NIV [2] Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
Moses’ rod is a symbol. Like David’s small sling, what we have, little though it may be or seem, can be used tremendously if we will freely and willingly give it to the Lord. The young boy had only five loaves and two fish, but he gave them to the Jesus and he used it to feed more than 5000 people.
Matthew 14:15-21 NIV [15] As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” [16] Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” [17] “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. [18] “Bring them here to me,” he said. [19] And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. [20] They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. [21] The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Conclusion
What motivated Moses to a life commitment? Two things seem to have merged. First, he saw the need. Second, he knew that, in God, he already had resources available. These two things should also lead and encourage. God will take care of us if we are faithful in doing our duty, whether it be the bringing of financial gifts for God’s work or by laying ourselves on the altar for service—or both.
Prayer
Thank You, God, for Your personal calling for each of us. May we find joy and blessing in following Your specific plan for each of us; may we encourage one another in our callings.
Use us, Lord, for all those who are seeking after you. Use our ears, so that we may hear those who are crying for help because they live in constant fear. Use our tongues, so Iwe may confess our sins, Lord, then we can give testimony to the world of your goodness. Use our arms, so we may reach out — and gather up those who are lost who doubt your goodness and mercy. Use all of us Lord to declare salvation to the world. In Jesus’ name Amen
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